Few details are yet known about the man accused of trying to assassinate former President Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks, but a member of the House Select Committee investigating the assassination attempt said the FBI is not cooperating with the investigation.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), a member of the Bipartisan Assassinations Task Force, appeared on “Fox News Sunday” with fellow task force member Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) to discuss the group's investigation into U.S. Secret Service (USSS) missteps during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks opened fire on a rooftop where he was left unattended.
Both Waltz and Dean said the failure was the fault of the USSS, which has since taken full responsibility, but Waltz praised the USSS for being proactive in the investigation, while noting that the FBI is still not investigating the assassination attempt, more than two months after it occurred.
“The Secret Service has been forthright about its failure to provide communications guidance to locals with proper command centers, while the FBI has completely sabotaged this task force,” Waltz said. “They're not speaking forthrightly.”
Trump assassination attempt in Florida: Pennsylvania task force, Secret Service announce 'red line'
At a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, Trump was seen with blood streaming from his face as Secret Service agents surrounded him and shoved him off the stage. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Waltz said he would like to see FBI Director Christopher Wray and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas hold a press conference similar to one recently held by the USSS.
“We still know virtually nothing about Butler shooter Crooks, about his encrypted accounts, or how he learned how to make IEDs,” the congressman said.
The shooting at a Trump rally on July 13 has increased scrutiny of the USSS and sparked debate about whether it is doing enough to ensure the safety of elected officials in today's hyper-partisan environment.
Acting Director of the U.S. Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr. spoke to reporters at a press conference to provide an update on the investigation into the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which took place in West Palm Beach, Florida on September 16. (Mega from Fox News Digital)
Waltz said another reason for the “growing bipartisan frustration” with the FBI is the multiple ongoing plots by Iran, specifically its administration, to assassinate Trump, and the hacking of Trump campaign information and sharing it with the Biden-Harris campaign.
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“And when questioned about this privately, the FBI provided no information to the intelligence committee,” Walz said. “Only this week. This is completely unacceptable, and subpoenas should be issued.”
Dean also said it “makes sense” for the special investigation team to investigate the second assassination attempt on President Trump, which took place on Monday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, and condemned all political violence.
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“I want to set the standard that political violence has no place in this country,” the congressman said.
